Mobility or walking assistance devices such as canes and crutches, for example, have frequently been employed to offer stability to those who require mobility assistance. Conventional walking assistance devices comprise a main body portion which is typically a bar or pole formed from wood or metal. The devices are typically cut to a desired length. The devices also include a handle portion disposed at an upper part of the main body, and a foot portion disposed at a lower part of the main body. Typically, the foot portion includes a rubber cap having a flat surface for contacting the ground.
The conventional mobility assistance devices typically have a single foot. A problem encountered by users when using conventional mobility assistance devices is that when the device is extended by the user at angles forwardly or rearwardly, the foot does not provide adequate traction due to minimal surface to surface contact with the ground. Inadequate traction and minimal surface to surface contact between the foot and the ground surface can result in slippage and an undesirable reduction in a stability of the user. Another problem associated with conventional mobility assistance devices is that the single foot provides minimal lateral stability assistance, which leaves the user susceptible to toppling to the sides.
Prior art solutions provide limited resolution to the traction and the lateral stability of the conventional mobility assistance devices that have a single foot. One such solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,704. The '704 patent discloses a foot for a walking cane having an narrow elongate arcuate-shaped foot portion. The foot taught by the '704 patent provides increased traction and surface to surface contact when the cane is extended at angles forwardly or rearwardly, and therefore facilitates an increase in the stability of the user. However, the narrow elongate arcuate-shaped foot taught by the '704 patent does not provide stability in a lateral direction.
Another prior art solution is a device including a plurality of feet, typically four, for increasing stability of the user. An example of a mobility assistance device having four feet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,548. The feet of these devices are typically arranged in a rectangular pattern to provide lateral stability and reduce the susceptibility of the user toppling to the sides. These types of devices, while providing an improvement in lateral stability, provide a minimal surface to surface contact between the ground and the feet thereof when the cane is extended at angles forwardly or rearwardly of the user.
Additionally, the typical mobility assistance devices having a plurality of feet cause a handle thereof to be in a fixed and an awkward position in respect of the user. The position of the handle causes the user to modify his or her posture from a natural, and preferred, position to properly use the cane. The modified posture typically causes the user to modify his or her gait, which can reduce the stability and increase the fatigue of the user of the device. Consequently, the user must either use the device improperly or modify his or her posture, both of which minimize the desired stability benefit of the mobility assistance device.
It would be desirable to produce a mobility assistance device that facilitates a maximization of a traction between a foot of the device and a ground, and provides a lateral stability to a user, while facilitating a proper posture of the user.